Warman emergency responders train in mock disaster

Destruction and debris lined the hallways of Warman High School on Saturday, as first responders worked to treat students in the wake of a mock disaster.

It was all part of a drill for volunteers on the newly developed Warman Emergency Response Team. Warman Fire Rescue replicated what would happen if a tornado struck, and volunteers worked to treat injured patients and deal with the simulated disaster.

“When you have mass chaos happening, unless you have some organization and you have a plan in place, things will get a lot worse,” said Randy Meginbir, City of Warman emergency management coordinator.

During the drill, teams came up with a number of scenarios to ensure they are prepared for what could happen in real life.

“You have a lot of injuries from flying debris and glass (and) downed wires,” said Meginbir. “A big thing in tornadoes too is that it moves buildings and stuff off of structures, so you have the possibility of large natural gas leaks.”

The province’s emergency management teams hope the mock disaster encourages smaller communities to do similar drills.

“When the actual emergency comes, it’s going to be a while before outside people can get to them, so the idea behind this is that they know what to do and how to do it,” said Murray Sanders with emergency management and fire safety. “So, we’ll encourage them, but we’re really looking for the communities themselves to actually step up and do these practices.”